A Freedom Lifestyle Free of Fear • Part 2

Question

I am loving your posts about being a brave badass and I am taking a facilitated course on Brené Brown's book Daring Greatly. Would love to connect with you about how you created your lifestyle and what you had to do to overcome fear etc.

Answer • Part 2

There's lots to do and learn to be free, to live free. But none of it can be learned or actualized without the love and courage that comes from a solid tribe. So my answer to the above question is: find your tribe(s).

Reading how I found mine might open gateways to new ideas for how you can find your tribe(s), your way.

2. Girl Gone International TRIBE

You'll never be lonely again when you have a global tribe of gal pals, who have uprooted and gone international. They know the joys and challenges of being an expat, a transplant, a nomad. They have the biggest hearts.

When evaluating different coaching schools, just to triple-check that CTI was a good fit for me, I had coffee with a seasoned coach

=> He was well connected to the Vancouver community and invited me to volunteer at soup kitchen and beach cleanup

=> I went and met a lighthearted group of gals who also loved yoga

=> I mentioned a special yoga event near my house, we went together and they invited me to their summer bash

=> At the summer bash, I met an even bigger group of friends. We did paddle boarding, sewing classes, and aerial silks together, so fun!

=> Three of us gravitated toward each other for an "orphans" Thanksgiving dinner. One shared how she loves sharing a big house with 6 people. She chose community over criticism from "the masses" that she should grow up already

=> She inspired me so deeply, so I too chose community over external criticism.

=> I rented out my luxury "big girl" condo by the beach and moved in with super duper gals, in a downtown skyscrapper, with hot tub and swimming pool

=> Months later, roomie's friend came to visit from Germany. From that day on, I saw both of them share Facebook quotes from Girl Gone International. I started following.

=> A year later, a GGI Vancouver chapter was launched. I reached out to the Community Manager, offering to help. We became instant friends!

=> Months later, I set off on a 16-country around-the-world trip and that Community Manager kindly introduced me to the GGI Community Manager in various cities

=> Months later, I joined the GGI Bangkok chapter for an in-person Christmas dinner. I was not alone during one of the loneliest time of the year!

=> Nine months later, I was country hopping and stopped in Spain

=> By chance the GGI's annual global meetup took place in Mallorca, Spain, where I got to meet the founder of GGI, Anne Scott!

=> Months later, I did a worldwide talent search for a branding strategist to revamp my business and website. I hired Anne for the job!

=> A year later, seeds sprouted for our Roar to Riches Business & Mindset Accelerator, and neither of us really knew that seeds had even been planted. We never spoke about creating something together. It just kinda happened...

Sooooo many twists and turns! No textbook formula on how to create a freedom lifestyle, free of fear.

Friendship makes the world go round!

3. Llamas, Cuckoos and Koalas TRIBEs

The world shrinks from dark/scary to joyful/gushy when you have a global network of empowered weirdos, just like you.

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”– Dr. Seuss

Because we never felt like we belonged, we were too much for this world, but not enough for that world, our natural superpower is to make others feel like they belong. So together, we belong to each other.

This is how I met my Leadership tribes:

It took me a year to complete CTI's coach training (instead of 5 months) because people in my life kept dying and nothing grows in the swampland of grief

=> By end of training, my favorite teacher recommended me for a scholarship to CTI's Leadership program. I wasn't interested.

=> My quest of getting un-jaded by narcissistic, sociopathic or insecure guys was top priority!

=> Months later, I dated someone who felt like... home. Eerie. Had my first clairvoyant hit: this feeling of home had nothing to do with this guy, but everything to do with me.

=> For weeks, I watched myself in slow motion think one thing, say something else and act a third way. I was so fractured!

=> I looked for something to put this Humpty Dumpty back together again...

=> I don't smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs or sex to numb, so I turned to my primary addiction: self-development!

=> I reached out to my CTI tribe to speak with anyone under 30 who had completed CTI's Leadership program

=> I spoke with 7 grads. The 7th grad I spoke to said Leadership helped her show up as the wife she wants to be

=> I was floored. It meant that 1) She knew who she was, 2) She knew who she wanted to be and 3) Those two are one and the same. Whaaaaat?!? That exists?

=> I hung up the phone with her, called CTI immediately, and handed over $15,000 for their Leadership program!

=> Months later, I jumped off a tree and realized that I was jumping into me... that I was returning home to me.

=> Aaaah, I see, that guy who felt like home was but a mirror to show me a preview of coming attractions, of me coming home to me. Woah.

Being a CTI Leadership grad has given me the greatest sense of home and belonging. These souls were brave enough to invest $15,000 in themselves to heal and serve the world! If that's not badass, I don't know what is.

AUTHOR • Hi, I'm Ella, founder of Guide to Grace. Having lived in 100+ countries, I invite you to freedom at the intersection of: entrepreneurship, enlightenment, and enchantment. Follow

HI • I'M ELLA

Founder of Guide to Grace
A promise of soul maturation + lifestyle freedom

Ella is my brilliant business fairy godmother. With massive smarts and experience—and a light heart—she helped me navigate my way to a business strategy that’s a uniquely perfect fit for me. It’s not only streamlined and simplified, it’s also bigger and more soulful than I’d imagined it could be.

Karen Olson

Founder, Elemental Intelligence

My company has over a million subscribers. I know what I'm doing. When Ellany and I first chatted, I knew I didn't need a coach. I watched her live her wild crazy freedom and felt an itch for freedom too. Which I hadn't felt in a long time. We spoke again, I remembered how calm and centered I felt after. I hired her.

Ellany simplified everything. It was nearly impossible to admit that I overcomplicated my work and overcompensated to master the complicated. Ellany has a graceful way of telling me "good girl" and "bad dog!". You were an unexpected teacher, Ella, thank you for the joy.

Founder of financial consultancy

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Ella gave me her 100% and genuinely held me throughout the process and saw my magnificence when I could not. She is resilient, she "gets me", she is always "there", fun to work with, a source of strength, ideas, business advice and a faithful companion on whatever journey needs to happen. She has this playful, wise, kickass energy about her that is just a delight to work with! Always insightful, motivating, cheering, going deep and transformative in her unique, blended ways that don't hold anything back of what she lived, learned, and felt as she did all the work herself first!

Sara Bianchi

Liberator of Lone Wolves

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Hi • I'm Ella

Founder of Guide to Grace
A promise of soul maturation + lifestyle freedom

Was on a roll with my coaching biz and was even called the coaches' coach. Then got married and priorities changed. I felt stuck and embarrassed that I quit on my 8,000 followers. Ella held my hand through the emotional tunnel (aka shame) of reconnecting with my followers, my biz and my pre-marriage self.

Her cheery presence felt like sunshine and I didn't expect to cry and laugh this much. It was cathartic!! If I learned anything it's that you don't get a medal for walking through that tunnel alone. Ella always had her hand out. Take it.